France resist Wales rebound

France resist Wales rebound

26 Feb 2010

France nearly surrendered a 20-point lead before settling to secure a 26-20 victory over Wales in Cardiff.

Leading 20-0 and the break and having not been threatened once by an impotent Wales, most, except Wales’ ever-optimistic supporters wouldn’t have given the hosts a chance. But they rallied to within seven points, before basic errors cost them a chance of a miraculous comeback.

The match was a marred by passages of play that infuriated as a result of amateurish handling and poor tactical options. But there were moments which mesmerised, and those ensured you stayed trained on the contest.

Initially Wales couldn’t match France’s clinical attack via their back division, and why they persisted down that avenue of attack in the first half confounds. Their more pragmatic second half approach reaped rewards, and had they resisted the urge to box with the boxing experts, the result may have been different.

However, France built their victory almost entirely on defence – the controlled and aggressive variety in the first forty minutes and desperate scrambling in the second.

With regard to the former variation, Wales were bullied in contact, and as a result rarely got the speed on the recycle they needed to play the type of game they attempted to. France stayed patient in defence, despite a dearth of possession and territory, and capitalised on numerous errors, the biggest of which came in the 7th minute.

France’s speed off the line forced Wales’ attack to veer laterally, and well behind the advantage line. An intercept always looked possible given the careless and rudderless manner in which the ball was being distributed, and wing Alexis Palisson duly poached a floated Stephen Jones pass and ran 65m to score.

Morgan Parra converted and banked two more three pointers to take his side into 13-0 ahead.

At no stage did Wales threaten, and their desperation manifested in collectivism being traded for individualism. This ultimately cost them seven points when, after a mazy solo run, Shane Williams popped up a ball in contact only for flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc to grasp it and sprint 30m to goal.

Parra sunk the conversion from tough angle, and being 20-0 down with France still having five gears at their disposal, it was effectively over as a contest. Or so it seemed.

Wales’ woes were amplified when they butchered a wonderful scoring opportunity four minutes after the restart – lock Luke Charteris knocking on with the line beckoning and just a wing to negotiate.

Then the drama reached its climax. A multi-phase move culminated in the ball being shifted wide to Leigh Halfpenny, who raced in to the corner. Jones sent the ball sailing through the posts to draw his side to within a converted try.

To compound France’s trouble, Parra was sin-binned for an infringement in the build up to that try, and Wales had a number of chances to punish 14-man opponents, the best of those when Jamie Roberts failed to find a support runner on his outside who would have scored under the posts.

They’d regret that, and if Frederic Michalak’s 70th minute penalty helped France breath easier, Parra’s third in the 78th sealed the result. Williams would score a late converted try, but Michalak simply booted the restart into touch to keep their Grand Slam dream alive.


151 Comments

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  • 51.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 22:58 pm

    @Transformation: @grant10: can you two quit it for 5 minutes? it’s the Six Nations :) it’s the same all the time on here, a constant drum beat :)

  • 52.Nils: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 22:58 pm

    If the World cup were this year, France definitely would be among the major favourites. They look really good.

  • 53.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 22:59 pm

    this jonathan davies guy has a weird squeaky voice plus he is does what Tacitus was lamenting about skinstad ie praises everything wales does & merely narrates what the french did brilliantly…

  • 54.fish out of water: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:00 pm

    @Big Hit: english with a welsh accent is still bloody awful, almost as bad as glaswegian.

  • 55.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:03 pm

    @Nils: long road yet. Wales have a few injuries just now.

  • 56.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:05 pm

    brilliant attack from Williams and Hook

  • 57.Nils: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:07 pm

    Groundhog’s day. I bet if I log in here next time after a few months, the same old story (Smit at 3, turbo reverse, etc.) will be going on and on. And on.

  • 58.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:08 pm

    @Big Hit: hey 008, we know about your mission to lull us into a sense of false bravado… :D

  • 59.Nils: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:10 pm

    @Big Hit: Right. That’s why i say, if it were this year. Just have to say, France finally look consistently good this year. No guessing which team will turn up until now.

  • 60.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:11 pm

    @Nils: after a few years it will be the same :)

    20-6, comeback is on??

  • 61.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:13 pm

    @Nils: 57

    Hopefully he wont be farking around at 3 …and either be at 2 or retired …then no need for saffas to be worried….as we are!

  • 62.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:15 pm

    @grant10: he’ll be coach :)

  • 63.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:15 pm

    @Big Hit: scrum coach :lol:

  • 64.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:15 pm

    @Transformation: 58

    Ja….bloody Minister of Disinformation our 008 BH….RFU undercover agent

    Licence too lull us into a sense of ‘ dont worry about the scrums in the modern game’….

    Bull ust…think we farken stupid????

    Screw that…we gonna take them in the scrums too….

  • 65.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:16 pm

    @Big Hit: 62

    Will i never be rid of the bloody Barney!!!

  • 66.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:18 pm

    Wales doing much better now

  • 67.Nils: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:18 pm

    @grant10: I am sure all folks here know perfectly well your worries. No need to drill it into the heads at each and every opportunity really, after umpteenth time it loses intended effect and becomes just annoying. No insult indended, of course.

    By the way, hard luck to your beloved Stormers. Snatched defeat from the probable jaws of victory.

  • 68.skopskiet: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:20 pm

    French are building nicely for Wc 2011 while we are decomposing.

    If we don’t build a new team in the next year we done, it’ll be Aussie and Nz and France battling it out for the prize

  • 69.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:22 pm

    @Nils: 67

    yeah….justrugby and i were bloody inconsolable….tough loss….

    but thats rugby and top pro sport…a game of inches ….and we need to man up for next week….

    i am proud of the stormers….we are no easy beats….but a home loss may be the difference come the last weekend….pity….

    brumbies looking good….great team….but bulls look the eal deal….after a couple of rounds anyway.

    long way to go still.

  • 70.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:22 pm

    @skopskiet: not Aussie imo

  • 71.fish out of water: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:22 pm

    @skopskiet: start with a new coach

  • 72.Nils: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:23 pm

    @Big Hit: I will believe in comeback when i see Wales scoring a try. Until then I am not worried too much. 2 try cushion is good enough and all Frogs need is to keep them at arms lenght.

  • 73.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:23 pm

    try Wales…..

  • 74.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:23 pm

    @skopskiet: 68

    and the okes moan because i get obsessive about that building…we either do it from june or throw our title aspirations away….

  • 75.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:24 pm

    this game opening up now…whats the score?

  • 76.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:24 pm

    1 try in it

  • 77.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:25 pm

    the commentators “surely we’ve got another comeback”

  • 78.Nils: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:26 pm

    Ok, NOW France better start doing something. They become too lazy and complacent. Credit to the Welsh, of course.

  • 79.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:26 pm

    which frog team team came through in the 2nd half?!

  • 80.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:26 pm

    Parra yellowed, France down to 14

  • 81.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:27 pm

    sounds like an awesome game

  • 82.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:29 pm

    @grant10: not awesome but it’s going to be quite a finish, Wales have to be favourites now

  • 83.rangerman: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:30 pm

    cmon froggies!

    my peanut is still sleeping so i will watch this game out.

  • 84.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:30 pm

    82
    Some turnaround….20 to 13….how much time left BH?

  • 85.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:31 pm

    Wales just blew a try

  • 86.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:31 pm

    Clifton is cool but this lack of dstv is seriously sterting to make me the moer in man.

  • 87.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:32 pm

    come on wales….cmon boys!!!!

  • 88.rangerman: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:32 pm

    the welsh ref, davies is it, is an annoying guy.

    he probably annoys himself without even konwing it.

    wales prove themselves as capable of squanderig a linebreak as the stormers.

  • 89.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:33 pm

    at least stormers make a linebreak??

  • 90.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:33 pm

    it’s confirmed, this davies oke ******* irritates me with his whining voice, damn!

  • 91.rangerman: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:33 pm

    my typing has gone to shite.

  • 92.WP_: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:34 pm

    Come on Wales! Create some magic and feed Williams and Halfpenny

  • 93.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:35 pm

    how much time left…and someone take pity and tell me what is happening???

  • 94.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:35 pm

    FFS…guys please….what the hell is happening there man!

  • 95.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:35 pm

    pen France

    23-13

    8 mins left

  • 96.rangerman: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:36 pm

    @Transformation: :lol: how he got the gig is a mystery.

    no qualms about objectivity for these guys.

    “he’s got it” sounds like “my mother died” when he says it.

  • 97.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:36 pm

    michalak converts the penalty! Davies sounds deflated.

  • 98.grant10: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:37 pm

    @Big Hit: @Transformation: Thanks chaps….dammit….may be the death knell…

  • 99.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:37 pm

    davies is annoying it’s true

  • 100.gunther: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 23:38 pm

    Anybody who saw davies play in those hideous tight white shorts will not be suprised at his castrato voice..

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